Resurrection
by BAD ROBOT
Summary: my take on Anna's death and what 'could' have happened in the space betewwn her death and the burning... what if Van Helsing had found a way to bring her back?
1. Resurrection chapter one

Resurrection By BadRobot  
  
Disclaimer: none of these characters belong to me. There may be a few original ones later on, but so far they all belong to someone else.....DAMN!  
  
Summery: What would have happened if Van Helsing and Carl had managed to figure out a way to restore the life to Anna Valerious in the time between her death and her burning on the sea shore?  
  
I wanted to write a fic about Anna and Van Helsing that didn't just change the end of the film totally by saying she never died. I wanted to keep that aspect because it would be interesting later on. I got the idea for how to get a her death when I watched the film again last night. One single 'over the shoulder' glace of a certain character sparked the idea of how to have the princess live after being killed.  
  
Enjoy and please review.  
  
Chapter one : visit from the elder.  
  
He couldn't believe the ach he felt in his chest as he carried her limp body through castle Dracula. Carl followed in complete silence; his head hung low as he almost drown in the sorrow he felt at the loss of the princess.  
  
She had been such a strong person; her courage and selflessness equal that of Van Helsing. In their short time on this mission against the evil count, Carl had noted the change Anna had caused in the great Van Helsing.  
  
Though always acting for the good of others, Gabriel Van Helsing had never cared about anyone the way he had about Anna. Anna, the last of the Valerious, then ends of a powerful family.  
  
Van Helsing's strides were long and powerful as he marched out of the huge doors of the castle and into the freezing cold. Clad only in his torn trousers he moved strongly though the snow and to the door they had come through. His apparent strength was nothing but a show. Inside he felt a whirlwind of emotion. His heart felt like it was in his throat and his eyes were stinging as he fought to hold back tears.  
  
Before he knew it he was back in the warmth of the Valerious mansion. He walked smoothly through the mansion and placed Anna gently down on her own bed. He stood looking at her as she lay motionless, with her eyes closed she look as thought she were sleeping peacefully, but Gabriel knew that this was a sleep from which she would never wake, a sleep he had caused and that thought brought a wash of fresh grief and guilt over him and the tears he had been holding back broke free. He fell to his knees at her bedside and held tightly to her hand as he buried his face in her sheets and cried like he had never cried before. He loved her, he had never told her and now he had lost her, and the most painful part of this was that he had killed her.  
  
---  
  
'Gabriel' the voice was quiet at first, Van Helsing didn't move as he answered. 'go away Carl' but the voice spoke his name again, it was louder this time as though it were in the room with him. Slowly he looked up, tears streaking his face. There on the other side of the bed stood a man. He was dressed in ancient armour, his hair was long and grey as was his beard. Van Helsing was instantly reminded of a painting Carl had shown to him and Anna when he was explaining about Dracula. 'Valerious the elder' he whispered and the man bowed his head slightly. 'it is good to see you again Gabriel' 'again?' van helsing, still holding onto Anna's cold hand whipped his eyes with his other hand. 'now is not the time to catch up on old times Gabriel, you have done this family a great many services in the past, and it is now time for you to complete one more task'  
  
Van Helsing looked utterly confused but he didn't say anything, only listened at the spector continued.  
  
'Anna was not destined to die in the battle with Dracula, she is destined to prevent this family from being forgotten, it is you who must resurrect her.'  
  
'but, what if she wants to be with her family, with you?'  
  
'she has no choice, she knows what has to be done and she is willing, she knows that now Dracula has been vanquished the pearl gates are open to us.'  
  
'how,' Gabriel swallowed hard as he looked at Anna's pale face 'how do I bring her back?'  
  
'think Gabriel, you have access to everything you need to bring her back into your realm'  
  
and with that the figure vanished, leaving Van helsing alone with Anna's body.  
  
'no,' he called out to the empty room, then in a much softer voice 'I don't understand'  
  
and then the voice of the ghost echoed softly through the room, uttering only one word, one word that held the answer to all of Van Helsing's questions and sorrows;  
  
'Frankenstein' 


	2. Finding Frankenstein

Chapter two: finding Frankenstein  
  
Gabriel was silent for a long moment as the ghosts last words echoed through his mind. Slowly he began to understand that he could bring her back to life, that he could be with her, give her back what he had taken and so much more. If he could pull this off as Valerious the elder had said, he could take care of her and tell her exactly how he felt about her. But she had wanted to see her family so much that he didn't know if she truly wanted to be resurrected.  
  
He had only been told that she 'understood' what she had to do but did she really want to do it? Would she be happy if he brought her back? He was almost torn in two by the decision. Would he be selfish, or selfless?  
  
Slowly he seated himself on the bed next to Anna's dormant form. Tenderly stroking her hair away from her face before touching her cheek more gently than he though he could.  
  
'Oh Anna, I don't know what to do.' He sighed heavily 'if I bring you back, will you hate me for my selfishness? If I don't will you hate me for not trying?'  
  
'Hate is a strong word Mr Van Helsing'  
  
Van Helsing closed his eyes and hung his head low, he wanted to hear her heavily accented voice again so badly that he was beginning to hear it in his head.  
  
His hand, which had been resting on Anna's hand, suddenly turned ice cold and he snapped his eyes open to see what had caused the temperature change. He stared in disbelief at the transparent hand which rested on top of his. The hand was pale and elegant, obviously female. But the thing that had his eyes glued was a ring.  
  
On the third finger of the hand was a delicate silver ring baring a crest, the family crest of the Valerious.  
  
Swallowing hard, Van Helsing slowly glanced up and to his right and sure enough, standing right beside him was Anna's spirit.  
  
He stared for a long moment, open mouthed. She looked so... alive, apart from the fact that he could see straight through her, but he didn't seem to notice it.  
  
He took another big gulp and a deep breath before he tried to speak. Her name passed his lips as nothing more than a whisper as a single tear slid down his cheek silently.  
  
She smiled he radiant smile then stepped back.  
  
'You know what to do Gabriel' she continued to back away and slowly began to fade. Van Helsing jumped to his feet  
  
'Wait,' his voice had returned 'I don't know at all, I know what I have been told but I don't know what you want me to do Anna. Tell me and I'll do it'  
  
Anna smiled again and reached out to touch his cheek, the same ice cold bit at his flesh but he ignored it.  
  
'Find Frankenstein'  
  
Van Helsing smiled as he brought his hand up to hers as it rested on his face, he stared deep into her eyes until he found himself gazing at the wall, his hand resting on his own cheek, Anna had gone.  
  
Van Helsing stood alone in the room but he spoke the words he had wanted to say to her, knowing that she would hear him.  
  
'I'm sorry Anna; I didn't mean to hurt you'  
  
Then as he turned to face her body lying on the bed, her voice whispered in his ear  
  
'It was not you Van Helsing, it was the werewolf.'  
  
'But I was the werewolf'  
  
'No, the wolf is something else, not the person infected.'  
  
'I still feel I need to apologise Anna, I need forgiveness.'  
  
'You have it, without question'  
  
---  
  
The double doors burst open with a loud WHACK causing Carl to squeal like a small child and topple backwards off of his chair. Slowly he righted the small cap on his head and peered over the top of the table to see the cause of the noise. He released the breath he had been holding onto and stood up again.  
  
'Van Helsing, must you always do that?'  
  
Gabriel Van Helsing smirked 'as a matter of fact Carl, yes'  
  
'Where is....erm....well,' Carl stuttered, not knowing if he should say her name.  
  
'Anna?' Van Helsing asked.  
  
'Yes, where is she?'  
  
'I put her in her room; I was in there when I saw Valerious the elder.'  
  
'What? you saw a ghost?'  
  
'Two actually'  
  
'TWO?'  
  
'Yes, the elder...' he paused and smiled slightly 'and Anna'  
  
'Oh my, what did they... erm...well'  
  
Van Helsing sighed at Carls inability to say what he meant, and walked over to the table. He grabbed a chair and pulled it out before sitting on it.  
  
'They said that we can bring life back to Anna's body, that she wasn't meant to die.'  
  
'Erm...h...how?'  
  
'Frankenstein.'  
  
Carl just looked at him blankly as he returned himself to the chair he had just fallen from. Van Helsing rolled his eyes.  
  
'The monster that Dracula was using to bring his children to life. We need to find him, get him to agree to participate in bringing her back and then we must go back to castle Dracula.  
  
'How do we convince him?'  
  
Carl was beginning to get excited by the plan  
  
'We say please'  
  
---  
  
Van Helsing strode down towards the old ruined windmill where he and Anna had first discovered the creature.  
  
Carl scurried along behind him, 'but, Van Helsing, how do we bring her back? The equipment was damaged when you fought Dracula'  
  
'That's where you come in.'  
  
'Me?' it was even more a squeak than a question.  
  
'Yes, you like fixing things'  
  
'I like inventing things!'  
  
'Same thing.' Van Helsing turned around and placed his hand on Carls shoulder. 'If there is anyone who can fix that equipment, it's you Carl. I have faith in you'  
  
'Oh, well in that case yes I suppose I could put it back together'  
  
Van Helsing smiled and turned to continue the search for Frankenstein's creation.  
  
---  
  
'What are you doing here?'  
  
The voice was a low rumble through the darkness.  
  
'Frankenstein, we need to speak with you' Van Helsing stood calmly in the centre of the darkened cave, Carl hiding behind him, clutching to his cloak like a scared child.  
  
'What do you want?'  
  
'You remember your friend?...our friend; Princess Anna'  
  
Slowly the creature moved into the light, his head hung low clutching his hands together.  
  
'I remember,' he made eye contact with van Helsing 'she is the only person to ever say 'thank you' to me. Like I am not a monster.'  
  
'You are not a monster my friend, believe me. I have seen many monsters; you are not one of them'  
  
The creature smiled slightly, 'why did you come here?'  
  
'We need your help' Carl piped up from behind van Helsing. 'When Anna was trying to give Van Helsing the antidote he was still in wolf form and he killed her' Carl blurted out on one breath without thinking first.  
  
He saw van Helsing hang his head in shame; the creature went silent and placed his hand on Van Helsing's shoulder.  
  
'You wish for me to go back with you don't you? To castle Dracula'  
  
Van Helsing nodded. 'I have seen both Anna and Valerious the elder in my grief. The elder told me that Anna was not destined to die and that you can help us bring her back and fulfil her true destiny'  
  
The creature nodded, 'I shall help you.'  
  
Van Helsing met his gaze with wide eyes 'you will?'  
  
'We are friends, and friends help each other. You were good to me when no one else was, all of you. You did not judge me like everyone else, so I shall help you.'  
  
'Thank you,' Van Helsing whispered 'Thank you' placing his hand on the creature's shoulder he smiled, and Frankenstein smiled back.  
  
'Right then, now that's all sorted, let's go' Carl said rubbing his hands together. I have a lot of work to be getting on with.  
  
The creature and Van Helsing exchanged amused glances before following Carl out into the night. 


	3. down to work

Ok so first of all I want to thank you for reviewing. I'm not too sure where things will go with this so I'll just keep going until I know. That's why I need your feedback, to let me know if it's working or not.  
  
Anyway, here's chapter three, enjoy.  
  
Chapter three: down to work  
  
He felt a stab at his heart as he placed her body down onto the very same couch she had died on. It was ironic really, this was where she had lost her life, and now the same spot would be where she was resurrected. The thought comforted him slightly and the feeling was increased when he remembered the words of forgiveness he had received from her spirit only the night before.  
  
Since that night he and Carl had recovered Dr Frankenstein's creation and all three of them had returned to castle Dracula to work on fixing the equipment as quickly as possible.  
  
Van Helsing thanked God that he had Carl with him. His technical knowledge and inspired thinking had made the process of fixing everything all the more easy.  
  
While Carl and Frankenstein had been making the final checks to the rebuilt laboratory, Van Helsing had gone back through the ice door and into the Valerious mansion. Without wasting a moment he had gone straight to Anna, wrapped the sheet which she lay on around her and lifted her in his arms.  
  
Her slight weight there caused him to hope against hope that this would work, and the next time he would carry her back into her home, she would be alive.  
  
When he had returned to the ice castle, Carl had instructed him to lay her on the couch.  
  
He now stood looking down at her pale face as Carl gently strapped her down, attaching cables to her harnesses and placing a kind of wired helmet on her head.  
  
When this was complete, Carl placed a reassuring hand on Gabriel's shoulder and smiled before moving over to the creature who was waiting patiently to be strapped down.  
  
As the lightning flashed outside and the rain began to fall, Van Helsing bent slightly and placed his lips against Anna's forehead.  
  
'Right' Carl shouted to everyone 'we're ready to try this! Van Helsing, I'm afraid you must move to a safe distance'  
  
With a nod, Gabriel obliged.  
  
He watched as the machines and cogs began to work and the Frankenstein creation was hoisted skyward. After a few tense moments wait there was a loud crack and bang and a bright blue light rushed down the cables and into Anna's body.  
  
She jerked violently for a few seconds but when the light was gone, so was her movement.  
  
Another moment of waiting and Carl whispered underneath his breath 'one more, come on, just one more'  
  
And it came. The huge crack and the light but this time as it rushed down the cable there were sparks, more sparks than there should have been and an ear splitting squeal.  
  
Both men looked up to see the machinery falling apart. Flames and smoke blocking the view to the sky above them.  
  
Instinctively, Van Helsing dashed for Anna's body, pulling at the straps and eventually lifting her limp body from the couch, jumping away just as the destroyed machine crashed to the ground right on top of the couch.  
  
Frankenstein had managed to free himself and was climbing down the outside of the building, while inside Carl cursed and then stared straight at Van Helsing, he noticed a single tear running down the great holy mans face as he stared out of the window, still cradling the princess.  
  
Carl slowly walked to stand beside his friend, trying to understand how he was feeling after the loss of the only equipment that could bring Anna Valerious back to life.  
  
'Gabriel...' he spoke softly.  
  
'Don't Carl' Van Helsing didn't turn at first. When he did, he met Carl eyes and smiled slightly, 'I can feel her heart beating' 


End file.
